Compuware cuts staff in business refocus

Software and professional services company, Compuware, has laid off 37 staff following a shift in business focus.

According to a statement, the positions were made redundant as Compuware is "realigning its strategy towards client/server computing in line with customer needs".

As well as denying that the lay offs were not the result of cost-cutting or another example of a US parent scaling back in the face of economic meltdown, vice president of Compuware Asia-Pacific, John Debrincat, said that the move was "quite the opposite".

Instead, he said the restructure would see the company try to "push out the borders" of the business in an effort to get closer to the consumer, and "try to reposition the infrastructure to be more responsive". Accordingly, many of the positions made redundant were infrastructure-based.

Unlike many companies that are implementing ploys such as communications blackouts prior to redundancy announcements, Compuware instead put into place an "employee assistance" program whereby retrenched staff were assessed by careers counsellors who will help place them in new roles elsewhere.

"I think we went to good lengths to make sure that people were looked after," Debrincat said.

Rhonda Field writes for The Industry Standard Australiahttp://www.thestandard.com.au

Copyright 2018 IDG Communications. ABN 14 001 592 650. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of IDG Communications is prohibited.